... first snow experience with Nokian WR's...
11-17-2002, 02:49 PM
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... first snow experience with Nokian WR's...
Hmmmm... lemme start out by saying that my vehicle is ... um.. very different than most of yours. RWD 88 BMW 535is.
I got the 205/60/15 WR's a couple weeks ago (Thanks CTClues!). All I can say is that the dry and wet handling of these tires is superb. Miles above my (admittedly crappy) Goodyear Eagle HP's that the previous owner had on the car. The WR's are quiet and smooth, with good turn in. No longer does wet pavement make me super nervous as it did before. Previously on wet Manhattan streets I could spin the rear tires while moving in 3rd gear without even trying. Not exactly confidence inspiring.
Anyways, we got 4 inches or so of snow/sleet/crap this weekend up at Hunter Mtn in the Catskills. It looks like the WR trades much of its snow traction for wet and dry pavement handling. Not exactly impressive, IMHO. The WR's have a pretty benign looking tread design, with much fewer sipes than an LM-22 (which I had on my a4 avant last winter) or a wintersport m2. In addition, the sidewall profile of the WR's where the tread starts is very rounded - which leads to pretty crappy snow traction. Tread depth is similar to the LM-22, IIRC.
So overall, I'd say the WR is a great year-round tire for people who dont encounter snow too often, but need something that will keep them pretty much out of a ditch.
Maybe I'm asking too much, but I was hoping for a bit more of the "wow" factor of great snow tires... that "go anywhere" feeling.
Oh well.
I got the 205/60/15 WR's a couple weeks ago (Thanks CTClues!). All I can say is that the dry and wet handling of these tires is superb. Miles above my (admittedly crappy) Goodyear Eagle HP's that the previous owner had on the car. The WR's are quiet and smooth, with good turn in. No longer does wet pavement make me super nervous as it did before. Previously on wet Manhattan streets I could spin the rear tires while moving in 3rd gear without even trying. Not exactly confidence inspiring.
Anyways, we got 4 inches or so of snow/sleet/crap this weekend up at Hunter Mtn in the Catskills. It looks like the WR trades much of its snow traction for wet and dry pavement handling. Not exactly impressive, IMHO. The WR's have a pretty benign looking tread design, with much fewer sipes than an LM-22 (which I had on my a4 avant last winter) or a wintersport m2. In addition, the sidewall profile of the WR's where the tread starts is very rounded - which leads to pretty crappy snow traction. Tread depth is similar to the LM-22, IIRC.
So overall, I'd say the WR is a great year-round tire for people who dont encounter snow too often, but need something that will keep them pretty much out of a ditch.
Maybe I'm asking too much, but I was hoping for a bit more of the "wow" factor of great snow tires... that "go anywhere" feeling.
Oh well.
11-19-2002, 03:23 AM
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From someone with WR and Quattro...
I have 225-55-17 VR on my allroad. We had our first Nor-easter in Vermont yesterday and I am pleased with the WR's performance.
The tires went on a month ago & l agree with the above post that they are superb on dry pavement and in the rain.
Yesterday's storm brought a combo of 9" snow, slush & ice. On acceleration I experienced no slippage at all. During hard cornering there was a slight lateral skid, but very controlled. Keep in mind I was "testing" the tires and was taking corners much harder than is normally prudent.
During hard braking the tires did break away & I felt the anti-locks engage. But again, very controlled. Didn't have a chance to take them on highway & didn't get above 40 mph so can't comment on high-speed performance in the snow.
How much of this is due to the quattro & how much the tires I can't say. But I expect that the WR's will handle the Vermont winter nicely.
For those of you whose streets get paved but also encounter a fair amount of fresh snow & slush, these tires are a good fit. If you encounter a lot of unpaved snow & ice then consider a more dedicated snow tire like the Nokian Hakkas or a studded tire.
Squeak
The tires went on a month ago & l agree with the above post that they are superb on dry pavement and in the rain.
Yesterday's storm brought a combo of 9" snow, slush & ice. On acceleration I experienced no slippage at all. During hard cornering there was a slight lateral skid, but very controlled. Keep in mind I was "testing" the tires and was taking corners much harder than is normally prudent.
During hard braking the tires did break away & I felt the anti-locks engage. But again, very controlled. Didn't have a chance to take them on highway & didn't get above 40 mph so can't comment on high-speed performance in the snow.
How much of this is due to the quattro & how much the tires I can't say. But I expect that the WR's will handle the Vermont winter nicely.
For those of you whose streets get paved but also encounter a fair amount of fresh snow & slush, these tires are a good fit. If you encounter a lot of unpaved snow & ice then consider a more dedicated snow tire like the Nokian Hakkas or a studded tire.
Squeak
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